On 15.2.2010 12:10 dzhang@its.caltech.edu wrote:In my attempt to build the ultimate end-game character, I have tackled the Lazy Golem Magic-Eater. Unsurprisingly, I picked up Moronic shortly after I finished scumming for mutations. Lazy + Moronic + Golem = -13 to INT! It took Vilya (+3), randart weapon with +5 INT, randart armor with +4 INT, Pendant of Gogo (+4), and the Jewel of Judgement (+3) to finally put me at the 18/200 INT necessary for 0% fail.

On 15.2.2010 12:44 jonathan.moore.007@gmail.com wrote:Great character :-). Also on the forums I saw that you were making a variant off Heng. How is it going as it sounds really great and I would love to play it.

On 16.2.2010 02:58 dzhang@its.caltech.edu wrote:OK, Chris, you're wrong about the Staff of the Magi. Even using it from the staff doesn't recover any charges. So, it's useful only for the Restore INT.

On 16.2.2010 03:45 chris wrote:My apologies ... That really blows that the Staff of Magi fails to work. Well, not like you need it. Holy, Cow. Please tell me how you got so many goodies (Healing, Destruction, Rockets) in only 14.5 hours of play? I really want to know why I suck so bad with Magic Eaters :D

So, where is the Stick?

On 16.2.2010 04:36 dzhang@its.caltech.edu wrote:Eh.. yeah, about that.. probably won't get around to actually doing anything about a variant in the next 2 years, until I get a faculty position. (Besides, Hengband apparently is being actively developed again...)

On 16.2.2010 04:47 dzhang@its.caltech.edu wrote:Ah, this was purely your trick, Chris. Recall down to dlvl 86, Activate Jewel, and check Minimap for any of the big 5 goodies (Mana Storm, Disintegrate, Rockets, Healing, Power). If it's in a vault with permanent walls, I give up and recall back. If it's isolated somewhere, I'll go for it, teleporting and going to grab it. If there are monsters in the way, I'll try to lure them away a little from the goodies and Destruct them away. I can manage a trip every 10-20 seconds, and every 10 trips or so has a useful device, so maybe 2-3 minutes per device.

The relatively high in-game time is because I shopped scummed significantly for ?oRecharging. I recharge each device to 10 (or slightly higher) charges, which usually takes 4 ?oRecharging, and then Eat. Each one gives me about 5 charges. So 99 charges is something like 19 devices. I maxxed out 4 devices, and have 70 rockets, so that's probably 95 devices, or about 3 hours of scumming.

The breaking point for this game was the randart tanto with +5 INT, which finally allowed me to get decent fail rates.

On 16.2.2010 04:52 dzhang@its.caltech.edu wrote:Compare to Paranoia, where I was getting 1-2 charges with every devices (so about 1/3 the charge building speed). Also, I was a lot more focused in this game in terms of collecting only devices. I didn't bat an eye at Rings of Speed or Extra Attacks (although I did make detours for the two Sexy Swimsuits!)

On 16.2.2010 04:55 chris wrote:I'll have to try recall scumming with small levels ... I never thought that would be effective, but maybe having things close by saves a lot of time. I've scummed rockets before, and I seem to recall my last guy to do this (Sorcery HM) took 3 hours of focused scumming to get a decent stack. Maybe with small levels, it is more efficient? Thanks for the tip!

And go kill the Unicorn already ;)

On 16.2.2010 06:07 dzhang@its.caltech.edu wrote:Unicorn is DOWN! Not nearly as bad as I expected... I actually had rockets left over without any !oRestoreMana (which was not the case for the Destroyer). Of course, that probably has something to do with the fact that Destroyer resists Shards while the Unicorn does not...

Anyways, was happy to receive the Yumi, which permanently solves any INT woes I may ever have. That allows a round of swaps, which results in the current configuration.

On 16.2.2010 06:41 dzhang@its.caltech.edu wrote:Serpent is down. Battle was pretty standard... my 71 rockets took him down to 2 stars, and I finished up with Mana Storm and melee. Serpent dropped Fingolfin, but I'm liking my current dual wield build.

Morgoth is next!

On 16.2.2010 06:56 dzhang@its.caltech.edu wrote:Embarrassing interlude... defeated by the Metal Babble. Used Twlight (+10 speed / ImmFire), Mirror (Reflection), and Ring of Extra Shots, for a +35+10 speed and 3.85 shots per round.

I took the babble down to 3 HP, but couldn't keep up with his regeneration (he was back up to 5/6 HP by the end of the fight). I probed him.. and he was at +80 speed! Ran completely out of Healing, and that was the end of that.

On 16.2.2010 08:14 jonathan.moore.007@gmail.com wrote:Thats okay I just saw it on the forums and thought that it looks awesome. Anyway congratulations on the win

On 16.2.2010 09:36 dzhang@its.caltech.edu wrote:Morgoth down, Stick acquired. Having trouble finding Mr. Plain Gold Ring. I suppose I could use the Palantir..

On 16.2.2010 10:44 dzhang@dna.caltech.edu wrote:Ring is refusing to show, and now I'm having second thoughts about if it's even worthwhile. Clothes provide +7 CON and ImmElec. CON's already maxxed though, and Vilya already provides ImmElec. So really the Clothes are useful only for the combat bonus and the Stealth. I'd much rather have Shiva's Jacket at this point.

On 16.2.2010 17:28 chris wrote:Hmmm ... The Norse Deities actually built a better model the first time around. Too bad you refused to serve them. Anyway, congratulations on an impressive win, and I'm sure the Plain Gold Ring is just cowering in fear some place ...

On 17.2.2010 01:52 kingvictory2003 wrote:Not a bad melee damage output for a Magic Eater--but was melee your method of choice for boss-killing? Or rockets?

On 17.2.2010 02:42 dzhang@its.caltech.edu wrote:Well, I finally found the Plain Gold Ring in Hell, and that was an epic battle. Mostly because Hell is empty, so the Ring got off lots of free Mana Storms on me as I approached. I had to teleport away twice when high summons showed up, and reapproaching was a nightmare of even bigger proportions. Finally managed to melee the Ring to death, and it dropped the Clothes, as well as the first randart cloak of the game, which is rather nice a retirement gift (combat bonus and +4 INT!). Swapped equipment a bit for a nicer final pose.